Patna: In a major push to higher education infrastructure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone for Phase-III development works at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Patna via video conferencing from Jharsuguda, Odisha.
The ceremony in Patna was held at Urja Stadium and attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Textile Minister Giriraj Singh, MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, Bihar ministers Nitin Naveen, Krishna Kumar Mantoo and Sunil Kumar, along with MLAs Arun Kumar Sinha and Sanjeev Chaurasia.
The project, valued at Rs 644.53 crore and financed through the Higher Education Financing Agency, will add around 126,000 square metres of built-up space to the institute. Plans include a research park and central research facility, new academic blocks focusing on entrepreneurship, hostels for 2,000 male and 500 female students, an international hostel with 250 seats, studio apartments for married students, and modern residential quarters for faculty and staff.
Prof T.N. Singh, Director of IIT Patna, said the expansion marked “a pivotal milestone” in the institute’s growth. “This project will not only strengthen the institute’s infrastructure but will also elevate our research and innovation capabilities to new heights,” he said.
Officials said the development underscores the government’s push to foster a knowledge-based economy and enhance India’s global competitiveness in higher education and innovation.
